


He's starting to grow on me

by widowshulk



Series: Age of Ultron Countdown [9]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-04-02 17:12:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4067977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/widowshulk/pseuds/widowshulk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Natasha and the Hulk fight together, Natasha confesses to Bruce that the Hulk is growing on her and Bruce has difficulty coming to terms with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He's starting to grow on me

**Author's Note:**

> As part of a countdown leading up to Age of Ultron, I wrote 18 short fics, from prompts, over 18 days.
> 
> Day Nine. Based on the prompt "The monster + Things you said I wish you hadn’t"

“Hey big guy,” Natasha said, her heart racing as she faced the Hulk.

He roared, turning to see her. He wanted to attack, to smash, but this tiny woman was different. Banner, inside of him, was telling him not to. She said something else, that made him shudder. Then her hand was up, almost a surrender, but more like a welcome. He reached out and touched her hand. She turned her hand over, so he turned his over, mimicking her. Her fingers gently traced over his forearm and his hand and he could feel himself fade away. It was time for him to go to sleep and let Banner out. He ran from her, not wanting her to see how weak he was about to become. The pain tore through him as his body shrank.

His teeth were chattering. In the middle of a snowy forest in only pants. He must have Hulked out. Then he heard branches crack behind him. He turned, heart pounding in his chest. 

“Welcome back,” Natasha said, wrapping a blanket around him. His body still shivered, so she put her arms around him too.

They walked back to the quinjet, not talking, not needing to. Bruce was too afraid to ask what had happened and Natasha knew he needed time to process. 

“You know,” she said as they approached the jet. “He’s starting to grow on me.”

Bruce was too stunned to say anything. The Hulk? Growing on her? It made no sense. He was about to ask her what she could possibly mean when Stark interrupted them. Business as usual. Whatever that meant.

They were all in the jet, nobody speaking. Whatever it was that happened out there, it must have been bad. He wrapped his arms around himself and sat, barely moving, slowly recalling moments of Hulk’s fighting.

They made it back to the Tower and everyone went their own separate ways. There would be time to debrief later. Bruce ran himself a nice bath and made some tea. He still couldn’t get Natasha’s words out of his head, _he’s starting to grow on me_. He, the monster, was not worthy of any such affection. He destroyed everything in his wake. How could Natasha see anything of value in that? 

She was waiting in his living room when he was done and he could see that she was concerned about him. She always did this. Whenever she’d been there to catch him as Hulk left him, she shadowed him, making sure he wasn’t going mad. 

“He’s growing on you?” Bruce asked, unable to stop himself.

“He and I have fought in battle, side by side. To you, he’s a monster. To me, he’s a hero,” she said, casually, the words coming naturally to her.

“He’s…”

“I’ve heard this all before. But he listens to me. He responds to me. You ever wonder why I’m always there when you come back? Because he and I have a code. A code for when it’s his time to go. He isn’t trying to destroy you. He’s helping you.”

“Why?” he asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head. “But he’s not the monster you think he is.”

“I just wish you hadn’t said it,” Bruce admitted. 

“Why?” she asked, cocking her head.

“What if you start to trust him and he hurts you? Do you think I’ll ever be able to forgive him? Forgive myself?”

“He could have hurt me hundreds of times. This isn’t like it was. I think he trusts me.”

“You do? But why?”

“I do. I can’t explain it, it’s a feeling. I’m very intuitive, doc.”

“I can’t-” Bruce started.

When are you going to learn to trust me?”

“It’s not you I don’t trust.”


End file.
